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Should You Invest in the Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU)?
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Launched on 12/16/1998, the Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Utilities - Broad segment of the equity market.
Passively managed ETFs are becoming increasingly popular with institutional as well as retail investors due to their low cost, transparency, flexibility and tax efficiency. They are excellent vehicles for long term investors.
Additionally, sector ETFs offer convenient ways to gain low risk and diversified exposure to a broad group of companies in particular sectors. Utilities - Broad is one of the 16 broad Zacks sectors within the Zacks Industry classification. It is currently ranked 13, placing it in bottom 19%.
Index Details
The fund is sponsored by State Street Global Advisors. It has amassed assets over $12.92 billion, making it the largest ETF attempting to match the performance of the Utilities - Broad segment of the equity market. XLU seeks to match the performance of the Utilities Select Sector Index before fees and expenses.
The Utilities Select Sector Index seeks to provide an effective representation of the Utilities sector of the S&P 500 Index.
Costs
Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.12%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.82%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure which minimizes single stock risk, it is still important to look into a fund's holdings before investing. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation in the Utilities sector--about 100% of the portfolio.
Looking at individual holdings, Nextera Energy Inc. (NEE - Free Report) accounts for about 17.77% of total assets, followed by Duke Energy Corporation (DUK - Free Report) and Southern Company (SO - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 64.45% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF has gained about 0% so far, and is up about 16.22% over the last 12 months (as of 01/04/2022). XLU has traded between $58.36 and $71.58 in this past 52-week period.
The ETF has a beta of 0.43 and standard deviation of 24.75% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 30 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers.
Alternatives
Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Thus, XLU is a reasonable option for those seeking exposure to the Utilities/Infrastructure ETFs area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.
Fidelity MSCI Utilities Index ETF (FUTY - Free Report) tracks MSCI USA IMI Utilities Index and the Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU - Free Report) tracks MSCI US Investable Market Utilities 25/50 Index. Fidelity MSCI Utilities Index ETF has $1.23 billion in assets, Vanguard Utilities ETF has $5.44 billion. FUTY has an expense ratio of 0.08% and VPU charges 0.10%.
Bottom Line
To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.
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Should You Invest in the Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU)?
Launched on 12/16/1998, the Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Utilities - Broad segment of the equity market.
Passively managed ETFs are becoming increasingly popular with institutional as well as retail investors due to their low cost, transparency, flexibility and tax efficiency. They are excellent vehicles for long term investors.
Additionally, sector ETFs offer convenient ways to gain low risk and diversified exposure to a broad group of companies in particular sectors. Utilities - Broad is one of the 16 broad Zacks sectors within the Zacks Industry classification. It is currently ranked 13, placing it in bottom 19%.
Index Details
The fund is sponsored by State Street Global Advisors. It has amassed assets over $12.92 billion, making it the largest ETF attempting to match the performance of the Utilities - Broad segment of the equity market. XLU seeks to match the performance of the Utilities Select Sector Index before fees and expenses.
The Utilities Select Sector Index seeks to provide an effective representation of the Utilities sector of the S&P 500 Index.
Costs
Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.12%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.82%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure which minimizes single stock risk, it is still important to look into a fund's holdings before investing. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation in the Utilities sector--about 100% of the portfolio.
Looking at individual holdings, Nextera Energy Inc. (NEE - Free Report) accounts for about 17.77% of total assets, followed by Duke Energy Corporation (DUK - Free Report) and Southern Company (SO - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 64.45% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF has gained about 0% so far, and is up about 16.22% over the last 12 months (as of 01/04/2022). XLU has traded between $58.36 and $71.58 in this past 52-week period.
The ETF has a beta of 0.43 and standard deviation of 24.75% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 30 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers.
Alternatives
Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Thus, XLU is a reasonable option for those seeking exposure to the Utilities/Infrastructure ETFs area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.
Fidelity MSCI Utilities Index ETF (FUTY - Free Report) tracks MSCI USA IMI Utilities Index and the Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU - Free Report) tracks MSCI US Investable Market Utilities 25/50 Index. Fidelity MSCI Utilities Index ETF has $1.23 billion in assets, Vanguard Utilities ETF has $5.44 billion. FUTY has an expense ratio of 0.08% and VPU charges 0.10%.
Bottom Line
To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.